GottaLoveMom

Sitting in the family room with my loved ones, watching a few of our favorite television shows, is one of my life's simple pleasures. Once in a while, our friends would recommend "a must see" television series and it usually takes a few weeks before we get to check them out. But when a show happens to entice us, we'll stay up late watching the show back-to-back , be it via OnDemand or   Netflix. This week's new obsession is "Downton Abbey". My husband and I were out with some of our closest friends, when they recommended "Downton Abbey".   We had no idea what to expect. "Downton Abbey", created by Julian Fellowes, is a British period drama television series aired in the US through PBS's Masterpiece Classic. The series is set at a fictional Yorkshire country estate of Downton abbey.   The main characters are the aristocratic Crawley family and their servants. The first episode was set in 1912. Mr. Fellowes t...

  What do you see yourself accomplishing in 2013? Sometimes writing the things you want to accomplish, or better yet, creating a visual board makes you accountable. Last week, I attended a 2013 Mapping and Manifesting Workshop by certified life coach Sonia Lopez .   One of the things that workshop talked about is "manifesting". It is true that some people raise their eyebrows when they hear the word "manifesting".   But manifesting just means "make things happen".   And no one else can make things happen for you -- except YOU.   Ms. Lopez also emphasized why we need to create SMART goals: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely goals. And every day, is one step closer to defining and attaining your goals. On February 16, 2012, my first book, "Out of Status" was published as a Kindle e-book on Amazon. I can't tell you enough what that day meant. It was just a beginning of a journey that opened...

- by Carmina Villanueva-Huet A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. From Guada, an angel indeed! A gift from heaven, That God has given. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need, Even if she cannot say, "I love you, Mommy!" or "Thank you for taking care of me.". A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. To overcome my fears, or to wipe my tears. Even when no one sees or hears. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. To go on living, To keep on trying, And continue on loving. A hundred kisses a day, Is all I need. You are always bubbly, As I cuddle you fondly. Or how you make me happy. (Ms. Carmina Villanueva-Huet, is one of my college friends. She's one of the new contributors for GottaLoveMom.)

It was one of those Friday nights when my youngest had a gymnastics practice -- an opportunity for an impromptu dinner date at a nearby restaurant. We've heard of the Ursino's restaurant since last year, but with the kids' hectic schedules, we never had a chance until last Friday.

“Your only limitations are those you set up in your mind, or permit others to set up for you.”  ~ Og Mandino Four years ago, my son came home from a 3-day YMCA Model United Nation s Conference. Despite his exhaustion, he was more passionate, driven and motivated than he ever had been.  This was notable because he was already very involved with extracurricular activities and I didn't think it was possible for him to get more involved.  He talked about the new friends he made, and how he learned so many new things. While he tried to catch up on homework and sleep, I went through his luggage to gather all the laundry and I discovered that he received several awards. The next day I asked him about the awards, and told him that we were so proud of his accomplishments, but all he could talk about was the friendships he made at the conference. That was the beginning of my son's 4 year experience with the YMCA Model United Nation’s family. On Jan...